Analysts say Oracle CEO Mark Hurd’s medical leave is a 'huge blow' at a crucial moment: ‘Oracle needs fewer distractions, and this is a major one' (ORCL)

Credit: Business Insider- Published 3 days ago

· *Analysts said Oracle CEO Mark Hurd's surprising announcement that he is taking a medical leave is a setback for the tech giant.*
· *Oracle did not offer details for Hurd's leave, though the company held its earnings call a day ahead of schedule to make the announcement.*
· *"This is a huge blow," analyst Patrick Moorhead...

Jim Cramer tackles Oracle, the tariffs, T. Boone Pickens and the markets. Let's Talk Tariffs...Again Phew. We have more news about the China-U.S. trade war. President Donald Trump tweeted that he was pushing back the Oct. 1 tariffs by 15 days. Cramer focused on the tariffs in his morning column over on Real Money. Here's a sneak peek into his thoughts on the tariffs: Despite the president calling his own move a "goodwill gesture" to the Chinese at the behest of Vice Premier Liu He, I don't think it matters much. Nor do I think it is that important that the Chinese this morning are trying to limit negotiations to only trade matters, according to the Wall Street Journal. In Need of An Oracle? That might be how some Oracle investors are feeling after receiving a double whammy from Oracle Wednesday night. The company posted earnings a day early and also announced that co-CEO Mark Hurd was taking a medical leave of absence. Adjusted earnings in the first quarter were 81 cents a share, in line with forecasts, but revenue of $9.2 billion fell short of forecasts of $9.3 billion. "Though we all worked hard together to close the first quarter, I've decided that I need to spend time focused on my health," Hurd wrote in a message distributed to Oracle employees. The board granted Hurd his request for a leave of absence, he said in a statement. Oracle Executive Chairman Larry Ellison said that "Oracle has an extremely capable CEO in Safra Catz and an extraordinarily deep team of executives, many with a long tenure at Oracle. Safra [Catz] and I will cover Mark's responsibilities during his absence." But That's Not All... We've got a busy Thursday. After TheStreet's Facebook Live show, Cramer will be joining Fantasy Football expert Bill Enright over on BullMarketFantasy.com for Cramer's Thursday edition of his live show. It will kick off at 10:45 a.m. ET. And, then, Cramer is going LIVE at 11:45 am E.T. over on Action Alerts PLUS to break down what members need to know about the volatile market.